1. The Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to printing systems and processes. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for establishing ink usage of process channels including ink separation settings.
2. The Relevant Technology
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Printing processes are complex and often involve many variables that have an impact on the final print. Many of these variables relate to the ink used in the printing process. Many printing processes use multiple inks (e.g., cyan ink, light cyan ink, magenta ink, light magenta ink, yellow ink, black ink and light black ink (CMYKIclmlk) or other ink combinations and the printing process accounts for each ink while processing the image.
In the case of a CMYK device, the printing process typically includes a processing channel for each ink. A cyan processing channel may generate cyan image data that is printed using the cyan ink. Similarly, other processing channels for the magenta, yellow and black inks generate, respectively, magenta, yellow and black images. These images, once printed, generate the final image.
Printing processes can use multiple inks for each processing channel. More specifically, the cyan processing channel generates cyan image data, but there may be more than one corresponding ink or ink channel. In other words, the printing process may use a light cyan ink channel and a dark cyan ink channel.
As a result, the printing process decides how to use both ink channels when printing the image. This increased complexity makes it difficult to control ink usage. When the ink control settings are handled incorrectly, the gamut and the print quality are adversely affected.